No-detention policy: Class 5 and 8 students can fail and get no promotion, says Cabinet

States will soon be capable of conducting exams for students of class 5 and 8 and will be able to detain them if they fail. If sources are to be believed the Union Cabinet has approved a proposal on Wednesday for scrapping the ‘no-detention policy’.

It is also being said that before being detained, students will be getting a chance to clear the exam, and only if they fail than it will result to detention. Under the existing no-detention policy, students are promoted automatically to higher classes every year till the eighth grade.

“The proposal has been approved by the Union Cabinet, under which states have been empowered to take decision on detaining the students,” a source said, adding that certain safeguards have been introduced, such as remedial classes and an additional chance to pass the exam.

It is also said that government will introduce a bill in Parliament as the move requires amendment to the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

Once the new system comes into force, the decision would be on the states to decide whether to hold examinations in classes 5 and 8. States can also hold exams for classes 6 and 7, but they will not be able to detain students at those grades.

“An enabling provision will be made in the RTE amendment bill that will allow states to conduct examinations in class 5 and class 8 and detain students if they fail,” said a senior HRD official.

Many states including Delhi, have been vocal about the flaws in the no-detention policy. While on the other hand Telangana and Tamil Nadu have opposed the proposed amendment to the policy. The policy is likely to come into force from 2018.